Bill Takes to the Air Waves

Hello Friends!

Thanks so much to all who came out for last week’s rainy market! We had an awesome crowd!

Did you hear Bill on the Dean of Green last week? Laura Kennedy and Don Schmidt did a very nice piece on local food. They even interviewed Jackie at the Garlic Press Market Café while she was cooking with local food – you could even hear her Cuisinart chopping up the pesto ingredients! I thought they did a great job, and not just because it featured our farm. Here’s a link to the show: http://www.wglt.org/podcasts/dean_of_green/audio/dog080718.mp3

I also have another link for you to check out: http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/green/chi-evanston-farmer_bdjul20,0,4473050.story
It’s an article from the FRONT PAGE of the Chicago Tribune about local farmer, Henry Brockman. The piece is about Henry charging for his biodegradable bags rather than handing out free plastic bags. As you know, we’re also charging for bags this season (although a dime per bag rather than Henry’s 25 cents for up to 4 bags). It’s been going remarkably well. I’d estimate that we’re still handing out 75% fewer bags as a result. We’ve only had one or two irritated customers – we try to explain to everyone why we’re doing it. The bags are expensive and we’re just covering our cost. Henry also has a great letter on his website about bags if you’d like to check it out: http://www.henrysfarm.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=38&Itemid=62

I’m including photos of our friends Sandy and Annie, the horse and goat next door. They feast on Bill’s compost every week. Have you ever had a horse run straight for you? It’s pretty funny (and not terrifying, because I’m on the other side of the fence!). When Sandy sees me walking to the compost pile with the pail, he just goes nuts. He’s a big fan of carrots, corn husks, and various other green things.

This week’s recipe is my favorite cucumber salad. I have never been a fan of cucumbers because the ones in the store have thick skins and are somewhat bitter. Bill’s are crisp, refreshing, and without a hint of bitterness. This salad is very quick to whip up. I’d say it requires a half hour lead time, and that’s only because the yogurt and cucumbers need to sit for a while.

Cucumber Salad with Tzatziki Sauce

Put 1 cup of yogurt into a fine sieve and allow to drain for 2 hours. (I do it in about half an hour by stirring frequently. That encourages the water to drain out more quickly.)

Peel and dice about a pound of cucumber and then put into a colander. Toss in 1 tsp of salt, and let cucumbers drain for half an hour. Press out excess water, rinse quickly, and blot dry. (I skip this step and then don’t add the following amount of salt.) Mash together 2 cloves or garlic and 2-3 pinches of salt. Combine yogurt, garlic and cucumbers in a bowl along with:
2-3 tsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp chopped mint OR dill (It’s AMAZING with mint, although I’ve made it many times without any fresh herbs.)
Salt and ground pepper to taste

Bill is trying a couple of new things this season: fennel and okra. Here’s what Alice Waters has to say about fennel:

Fennel has celery-like stalks (although more bulbous at the end) covered with feathery leaves topped with umbels of yellow flowers. Its strong characteristic anise flavor goes well with many other flavors, particularly fish. Alice adds the feathery leaves to marinades for fish and to numerous salads, sauces, and soups. It also works as a garnish. Alice frequently slices the bulbs raw into salads, parboils it with pastas, caramelizes it for a side dish, braises it whole, and cooks into broths. You typically peel away the outer layer and eat the white hearts.

Okra is a favorite southern vegetable. I’ll admit to never having eaten it until college, when we bought a bag of frozen okra! It’s a tasty little veggie. Elizabeth Schneider (Vegetables A to Z) describes okra as a bit like eggplant in that its flavor is heavily impacted by the accompanying ingredients. She also says the slippery texture on the inside is balanced well with something more acidic, such as tomato, lemon, and vinegar. It thickens dishes while cooking, which is nice in low-fat recipes. Okra is pretty perishable, so eat it within a couple of days. To prepare okra, just trim off the stems. Elizabeth Schneider’s favorite way to eat okra is steamed with butter.

Here’s what we’ll be bringing to the market this week:

Head Lettuce
Green Beans
Eggplant
Beets (Traditional, Golden, and Chioggia)
Kale
Parsley
Basil
Swiss Chard
Japanese Turnips (white and pink)
Summer Squash/Zucchini
Cucumbers
Carrots
Garlic
Bulb Onions
Leeks
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Okra
Fennel

On Tuesday evenings Bill delivers produce to Common Ground in downtown Bloomington and to the Garlic Press in Uptown Normal. So if you miss a market or just run out of veggies mid-week, head to Common Ground! And if you need the veggies prepared into a fabulous meal, Garlic Press is right down the road.

We’ll see you at the Downtown Bloomington Farmers Market on Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. – noon. BRING YOUR BAGS!! We’ll also be at the Trailside Market in Uptown Normal, every Tuesday from 3:30 – 6:00 p.m.

Please let your friends know about the blog. We plan to put out the email sign-up sheet during the market season again. Call us at 467-9228 or email us at blueschoolhouse@yahoo.com if you have questions.

Thanks!
Mercy Davison